City win fixture fight with UEFA
Manchester city have convinced UeFa to let them play their Premier League fixture with arsenal next week despite the match clashing with champions League games. city held talks with arsenal and the Premier League yesterday over when to play a game originally scheduled for last sunday. Pep Guardiola’s side were otherwise engaged winning the carabao cup and the clubs agreed on March 11 as the best alternative date. city were keen to play the game next Wednesday because they are short of midweek slots for the rest of the season. But the european governing body were reluctant to accept city’s request as Liverpool host atletico Madrid in the second leg of their champions League last-16 tie at 8pm on the same day. an agreement between the Premier League and UeFa, signed in 2017, states that television coverage of domestic matches in the top division must finish at least 15 minutes before the kick-off of european games. arsenal’s trip to the etihad stadium is due to be televised by sky — they selected their games before christmas — and the broadcaster would not have wanted an earlier kick-off, which would also have presented complications for the
police and fans. UEFA made an exception when allowing City to stage a rearranged game with West Ham on a Champions League night last month, as the reason for the original postponement — the impact of Storm Ciara — was deemed to be a force majeure which they class as an exceptional event.
in 2013, Premier League clubs were docked £1.12million of UEFA television revenue as punishment for scheduling clashes over the previous two seasons.
But they have since signed a memorandum of understanding, that was renewed in 2017, pledging it would not happen again.
However, UEFA have allowed City and the Premier League to bend the rules on this occasion as well even though the date of the Carabao Cup final was known for over a year and the League have had plenty of time to come up with an alternative date.
City are already involved in a bitter dispute with UEFA over Financial Fair Play regulations, with the club taking their appeal against a two-year Champions League ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Arsenal were understood to be reluctant to play next week due to the short notice for travelling fans. But they are willing to go along with City’s request only due to the congested fixture schedule.
if Guardiola’s side can defend their 2-1 first-leg lead against real Madrid and continue to make progress in the Champions League, they would have no free midweeks for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, the City manager claimed yesterday the sky is the limit for midfielder Phil Foden after his dazzling Wembley display, praising the youngster’s exemplary attitude. Foden was man of the match as City beat Aston Villa on Sunday — his first start for over a month.
The midfielder (above) has not complained about a lack of game time and Guardiola indicated that approach is bearing fruit.
‘i want the best for him,’ said Guardiola. ‘i’m delighted about his performance and his behaviour in the good and bad moments. He works and it pays off. it’s about improving.
‘With this behaviour, he can reach whatever he wants. Every time we decide to let him play, he plays at a high level.’
Leroy Sane is not being considered for tonight’s fifth- round FA Cup tie at Sheffield Wednesday, with Guardiola more likely to bring him back into the team in the Premier League.
Second-placed City are 22 points behind Liverpool in the league, which means the FA Cup and Champions League have grown in importance for the club. Sane, who was been out for seven months with knee ligament damage, played for the Under 23s last Friday but Guardiola said: ‘Leroy is not ready. Sheffield Wednesday is an important game. Maybe it will be easier to play in the league, where we don’t have a chance to win it, than these cup games that we need to be focused to get through.’
Guardiola has told Joao Cancelo, the £60m signing from Juventus, that he is in control of his destiny. Cancelo has made only 16 starts and was left out of Sunday’s 22-man squad. Guardiola said: ‘We are here to help him. i can suggest things but the players have to decide the rest. if they follow me, it’s not a problem. if they don’t follow me, they have a problem — their problem, not my problem.’